


From mole hill to mountain

by Ava626



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: (eventually) - Freeform, Arranged Marriage, F/M, Marriage, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-27
Updated: 2016-01-30
Packaged: 2018-03-15 10:40:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3444125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ava626/pseuds/Ava626
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Your father has just died and your mother and you are left in poverty. But as it turns out, your father has arranged a marriage between king Thorin and you back in the days that he still had some influence.<br/>Is this really a Cinderella story?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thorin never dies (yay!), not did his nephews (yay again), and the timeline might be a little off, but hey, just go with it ;)  
> Smut will (eventually) come, maybe love as well, I love love!
> 
> Please leave comments, I (usually) like feedback :)

As you sat by the side of the road, desperately trying not to cry, you knew it was all over now. Your feeble attempts had failed, and there was no more light at the end of the tunnel. You knew you had to go home and tell your mother, but you wanted to postpone that moment for as long as you could. The cold oktober wind went straight to your cloak. It had once been pretty, made from valuable fabric, but time had eaten away at it, and now it was yet another reminder of what once had been.

When the cold became too much, you got up and started trudding to your home. A home within Erebor had not been an option, and getting your old home there back was completely impossible, so your father had to settle for one in the surrounding villages. You thought back of the time before Smaug had come. You were little then, but you remeber the splendor your life had been surrounded with. Your father was of noble birth, not so close to the royal family to be a significant member in the heir line, but still, and you had nannies and gouverneces to take of you, all the best toys and clothes that were available and you even took your lessons together with children of the royals. You mother had always been covered in jewels and the finest furs, evoking jealous looks from the other women. In short: life had been good.

But then Smaug came, and everything changed. It became obviously clear that your parents had very few skills, and it was very difficult for them to make a living. One by one, your mother had had to sell her precious jewelry and furs, only keeping some dresses and cloakes to keep up appearances. Your father had followed Thror in the battle of Khazad-Dum, miraculously surviving. Your family then went on to follow the last of the Durins to live in the Blue Mountains, your father working as a miner and your mother trying to run a household without any domestic skills whatsoever and with very little means. There were no more lessons or royal friends for you, nor toys and nice clothes, and you tried to help your mother as well as you could. But as she had no skills she could teach you, you weren’t any good.

But then, king Thorin had taken back Erebor and asked everyone willing to return to Erebor. Your parents had seen it as a chance to get their old station back, but were sorely disappointed. Your father continued to work as a miner, but the disappointment Erebor had brought him, had caused him to start drinking a lot more than he should have. And now you had to go home and tell your mother that your father had died in a mining accident, caused by his inebriated state.

You walk into your house and see your mother sitting by the fire, crying. “You have heard it already then?”

“I have dear, your father’s supervisor has come by to inform me. Come here, let me hug you.”

You do as she asks, feeling the warmth of her arms around you. A rare moment, as your mother, just like so many noble women, is not someone who hugs a lot.

“We shall return him to the stone tomorrow. The supervisor has told me that because it was an accident at work, the royal family will pay for the funeral arrangements. Thank Mahal for that.”

“But what are we going to do after, mother? How will we live, how will we eat?”

“We shall speak of it after the funeral. Now go and have some sleep, it will help you in your grief.”

A you lie in bed, you think of your father. You have always loved him deeply, and he has always doted on you. You are sure you will miss him more than you can ever explain to someone, but you know this is probably best for him. His downfall in life had depressed him, and when he started drinking you knew it would not be long before he would gie up his will to live. Better like this than at his own hand or in a gutter somewhere. The tears roll down your cheeks as you think of how unhappy he must have felt.

The next morning, you and your mother get dressed and walk to the place where your father will be layed to rest. There are not many people, some colleagues, his supervisor and a royal guard that has been sent as an envoy to express the sympathies of the royal family. They all express their sympathies, but when it is all over, you and your mother walk home alone. Once there, you sit by the fire.

“Tell me mother, what are we going to do now?”

“There is only one thing to do: lay aside our pride.”

“I am not sure that I understand what you mean.”

“Your father fought for the king at Khazad-Dun, but he never did it for the gold; he did it for honour. But every nobleman bringing his own armour and fighting had a right to a reward. They could claim it with a special medallion. But he never did, he was too proud and loyal for it. But now we shall have to, You will have to go to the king tomorrow and hope that the medallion will gain you acces to him so you can ask him for the reward.”

She gets up and walks to her bedroom. When she returns, she is holding something that looks like a rather large, silver coin with a small hole in it to put it on a necklace. On one side, the Durin seal is stamped, on the other side the seal of your family. You have seen it around your father’s neck at special occasions, but you thought he had long sold it.

“I-I am not sure if I want to give it to the king mother. Father must have cherished it if he has kept it for so long.”

“There is no other choice. Either you go to the king with it, or you sell yourself, and the latter will absolutely be out of the question.” She says sternly, trying to hide her emotions.

You only nod and then go to your bedroom. You just want to sleep; give yourself over to whatever dream you may have.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day your mother picks out the best dress you have, which basically means the dress that looks least like it has been handed down by four other people and then wore to the thread. You take her best cloak, the one lined with black and silver fur, a reminder of better times.

She kisses you on the head. “Just show the medallion to the guards, it should get you in when the king is holding court. Look confident and don’t say too much about us needing the money.”

And now you nearing the gates of Erebor, slightly intimidated by the grandeur of it, as you are every time. When you want to enter, the guards stop you.

“What are you doing here, young lady?”

“I am here to make a request to the king.”

“And what makes you think you can just walk in when he is holding court?”

“I was told this would be enough.” You show him the medallion, hoping he will not start laughing at you and sending you away.

“Very well, please follow me.”

The guard quickly walks through corridors and halls, and you almost have to run to keep up with him. Then, finally he stops, opening large, gold-inlayn doors for you. As you enter, you see many nobles standing there, some of them you remember from when you were young. But then you see the king sitting on his throne, and for a moment you don’t see or hear anything from your surroundings, intimidated by the mighty dwarf.

“Family name please.”

You look up and see an official looking man with papers in his hands standing there.

“Baraz-Markh.”

The man looks up at you for a second, but then returns to his papers. “You are the last one for today, please take a seat untill I come and get you.” And he points to some chairs in a corner.

You sit there for what feels like days, but the court proceedings interest you: the nobles coming to ask for this or that, envoys from allies bringing agreements of messages, the odd civilian with a petition. Slowly the hall becomes more and more empty, untill you are the only one there, beside the king and his advisors.

“Come along.” The official is standing next to you, nodding for you to follow him.

“The lady Baraz-Markh.” He announces you and you walk forward.

A you are standing in front of the king you take a deep bow.

“What may we do for you today, lady – Baraz-markh was it?”

You nod. “My father has recently passed away, and I am coming here to return something of his to you, your highness.”

“We have learned of your father’s untimely death, our deepest sympathies for you and your family. Now what is it you are here to bring me?”

You take the medallion out of your pocket and want to had it to the king, but the official takes it from your hand and hands it to the king for you. To your surprise you see the king looking at it intensely, and then looking at you for at least a minute, without saying anything. But then he speaks.

“And why have you come to give this to me?”

“Well –eeeh- my father was the only one with employment in out family, me nor my mother have work. She has told me that if I give this to you, you may be willing to, well-eeeh.”

“Give what was owed to your father?”

“Yes.” You feel you are blushing and you look to your feet.

“And has your mother told what your father’s reward is?”

“She has not gone into detail, just that it would be a reward for services rendered to the king.”

“I see.”

You feel ashamed that you have to beg under the scrutinizing look of the king and his advisors, and you would prefer to run out of this hall never to return again. You know that would be too rude to even think of, but your mother has thought you pride, so you decide not to ask for a possible reward anymore. You will find some other way to make money.

“I understand that a long time has passed and that my question is untoward. Please keep the medallion. My father has cherished it even through the hardest of times, I think he felt very honoured that he could fight at your side.”

You bow again and want to walk away.

“Hold on my lady.”

You turn around and see that the king is getting up. “Your father was right, this medallion does hold some sort of a reward, if you could call it that. Have this, tomorrow someone will come to your house to bring you and your mother here for a private audience.” And he gives you a small bag of coins.

You do not know what to say.

“Ceremonymaster, please arrange a carriage to take the lady home.”

The official bows and gently takes your arm to lead you away. You take one more bow and follow him.

When you arrive home, you tell your mother the whole story.

“A private audience with the king? Did he not say anything else?”

“Only that the mediallion does hold a reward, but then he said ‘if you could call it that’. I don’t know what he meant by that, the whole thing was embarrasing enough without me asking for further explanation.”

“This is all very strange, but we shall have to go. Come on, we’ll find some clothes and such and try to make ourselves presentable. It is not like the old days.” She sighs

You spend the rest of the day trying on clothes and shoes, and your mother trying out hairdo’s on you and herself.

The next morning, you put on the selected clothes and your mother starts braiding your hair. For some reason, you have never gotten a beard like the other dams, and this seems to be a point of frustration for her at the moment.

“You might as well be a hobbit or something, only a bit taller and skinnier. How can I make you look nice without a beard to braid?”

“I don’t know mother, but I hardly think me looking royal matters.”

Just as you both are finished, there is a knock on the door and a guardsman informs you that the carriage of the king has arrived.

“If you would kindly follow me, your ladies.”

Once seated, the carriage takes of.

“I still don’t know what we doing.” Your mother says. “Are you sure he did not say anything else?”

“Quite sure.” You are nervous, as you do not want to face the judging looks of the king and his advisors again, looks that have grown significantly more judging after you had the whole night to think about it.

“We’ll just have to see then.” She sighs, and starts looking out of the window.

When the carriage stops in front of the gates of Erebor, one of the king’s advisors is waiting there for you.

“My name is Balin, I am the king’s chief advisor, at your service.” He says while he bows slightly. “Would you ladies please follow me?

And there you go again, walking through the halls and corridors of Erebor again, no less nervous than you were yesterday. But Balin leads you to a smaller chamber, and when you look around you see it is some sort of a counsel room. You and your mother bow to the king as Balin takes his seat, and then also sit.

Balin scrapes his throat. “Well, from what you have told me yesterday I gather that you are not aware of the meaning of the medallion?” he asks you.

You just nod your head.

“Well, it is like this you see. Your father made an agreement with Thror, Thrain and Thorin, myself also being present at the occasion. He would fight with us at Khazad-Dun, bringing with him as many men as he could persuade, and it was agreed upon that you were to marry Thorin once you came of age, which you have done last year, if I am not mistaken.”

You can only look at him in confusion. But then he continues. “Thrain knew how far the ties between the Durins and your family go back, and he was certain you would be a good match for Thorin, as was your father.”

You glance at Thorin, but his face shows no expression and you return your attention to Balin.

“So by presenting the mediallion to Thorin last night, you have invoked that agreement.”

You just sit there, quietly. But then your mother says: “I was not informed of such an agreement, nor did I consent to it. Is there anything other than that medallion to testify to my late husband agreeing to this?”

You notice your mother has got a tone in her voice that had slowly disappeared over the last years. A tone that shows where she comes from, testifies to her lineage.

Everyone is now looking at her with astonishment, as if they want to scream ‘You should be happy for this, you should be happy for a way out of your meager existance!’

“There certainly is my lady. I understand this may come as a shock to both you and your daughter. Would you perhaps like to eat a bit and speak to your daughter about it while I fetch the papers?”

“I would appreciate that, thank you.”

And the king and his advisors leave.

“Mother, what is this? Am I expected to marry the king?” you say softly.

“So it seems. I think this was your father’s way of ensuring a better life for you.”

“But I do not know him! How can I know if I will be happy with him?”

“If you had grown up the way you were meant to grow up, you would know that noble and royal marriages are not about liking or loving eachother, but about duty and honour. You can refuse this marriage, but I would highly advice against doing that. You would insult the king.”

A servant comes in with the lunch, but you are not hungry at all, so you just pick at the bread a bit.

“He also did not look happy with it.”

“Ever since he was young, he has never shown his emotions. There is no telling what he might think.”

“You knew him when he was young?”

“Not knew him, but I often saw him at functions and parties.” She seems to wonder of a bit, thinking of what her life had been like.

But then the doors open and she is disturbed in her pondering by the king walking in. You both get up to bow.

“Never mind all that, please sit. Lady Baraz-Markh, may I have a moment with your daughter?”

“Certainly , your highness.”

And then you see your mother walking away, leaving you alone with this intimidating king whom you are supposed to marry.

“Did you really not know?” he asks when he sits next to you.

You can only shake your head, looking at your hands while you are fidgeting with your dress.

“Then this must have come as quite a shock.”

“Yes, your highness.”

“Please call me Thorin. Tell me, are you inclined to marry me or would you prefer to annul the agreement?”

“I honestly can not say, as I don’t know you. I shall leave it to your best judgement.”

“You leave it to my judgement?”

You nod, still looking at your hands. “I would understand if you were hesistant to marry me, as I might not be, well, examplary for a royal wife.”

He grins. “So you would take me for an oathbreaker?”

Your head jerks up. “No, no not at all, your highness. I just meant….”

“I know what you meant. And please, Thorin!”

“Right.”

“If we were to be married, it would happen rather soon.”

“How soon?”

“Within a week.”

You nod again.

“May I ask as to what your objections are?”

“I-I do not know you, and this is all quite unexpected. And I do not know whether I am ready for marriage and to leave my mother.” You admit

“Your mother would also come to live here, not close to you, but still in Erebor. And do you not trust your father’s good judgement on me? “

“I do, it is just…”

“I know. But I would hate to be an oathbreaker, so would you please do me the honour of becoming my wife?”

You could not believe what you are hearing. The king of Erebor, mightiest among the dwarf kings, is actually proposing to you!

“I will.” You say, still afraid to look at him.

“Then let me show you to your rooms. You mother can go back to your home to fetch your belongings.”

And with that, he gets up and walks out of the room, you following him.


	3. Chapter 3

And now here you are, standing   in the antechamber of what appears to be a complete block of houses, but what actually is Thorin’s appartment, soon also to be your appartment. He has shown you the room you will be sleeping in for the week, just across the corridor from his, and now he is giving you something that appears to be a tour around the rest of the rooms.

“A seemstress wil come by shortly to arrange all the clothing you might need. Is there anything else you may like?”

“Excuse me?” You were not really paying attention as you were looking at the impressive art on the walls.

“A seemstress will come by shortly. Do you need anything else?”

“No, thank you.” You look at your feet, still afraid to look at him.

“Do you like the artwork?”

You look at the paintings again. Your mother may not have been able to teach you many domestic skills, she did convey her knowledge and love for art onto you, and you know these works are exquisite.

“I do.” You say almost breathlessly. “They are examplary works for their periods.”

He frowns a bit, as if he had not expected you to know anything about, well anything really.

If you are interested in art history, you should take a look in the library, there are many books on the subject. Most of them will be in classic Khuzdul, but I can get someone to translate them for you.”

“No need, I read classic Khuzdul. But thank you for the offer, I shall do so.”

“You read classic Khuzdul?” again that frown. “Well anyway, I have some matters to attend to, please make yourself at home, possibly my sister will also come by to introduce herself later.” And with that, he walks out, leaving you standing in the middle of the room, wondering what to do now.

You sit on the bed and see that Thorin has put the medallion on your night table. Tears start to well up in your eyes. You can not understand that your father never said anything about it. _Why did he not announce it when you came of age? You would have expected him to want you to marry the king as soon as possible, freeing your family from your meager circumstances. But maybe he just did not want to lose you yet._ That thought causes you to actually burst out in tears, thinking about your troubled father whom had always made you feel special.

For a while you just sit on the edge of the bed, your face in your hands, sobbing uncontrolably. But then there is a soft knock on your door and you quikly wipe your eyes, hoping they won’t look too puffy.

“Yes?”

“My lady, her royal highness princess Dis is here to see you.”

“Thank you, I shall be out right away.”

You look in the mirror and see that you actually look frightfull; your hair is all tangled up and your face looks like someone slammed a door into it. You pull your hands trough your hair, splash some water on you face and take a deep breath before you walk out to meet your future sister-in-law.

She greets you with a big, warm smile. “How lovely to finally meet you. I have heard a lot about you, only good things of course.”

“Thank you, your highness.”

“Please, don’t be formal, call me Dis.” She is looking at you in a taxating way. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, splendid. I just wanted to wash up a bit.”

She looks at you for another moment, but then says: “Yes, do so. I shall have some tea brought so we can talk a bit about the wedding and everything, and then the seemstress will come.”

You nod and walk back to your room. You do not have any other clothes to wear and you have no idea when your mother will be back This whole situation is starting to feel completely ridiculous, but also a little hopeless. Is this going to be your life? Sitting in some rooms in a place where you don’t know anyone and feel uncomforatble and out of place all the time?

But duty calls, and you redo the braids in your hair and try to massage the puff under your eyes, without much succes. You plaster a smile on your face and walk to the antechamber. You don’t see Dis anywhere, but when you wander around a little bit you see her pouring tea in a sitting room.

“Aaah, there you are. Come have a seat.”

You sit and take the cup of tea in your hands, softly blowing the hot liquid.

“So, my brother told me you were quite taken by surprise by this whole –eeeh- arrangement.”

“I have to admit I was. My father did not have a chance to discuss it with me before he passed.”

“And do you find it to be a pleasant surprise?”

“I am not sure yet.”

“Please, we are going ot be sisters-in-law. Be honest with me.”

“I don’t know your brother, so I can not know if I will like him. I had just always imagined that I would marry for love.”

She looks at you with sympathy in her eyes. “He is a nice man you know, my brother. He will treat you with respect. He just seems a bit grumpy, because he is so busy. But when he is relaxed, he’s nice.”

You take a sip of your tea, trying to avoid the subject.

“Do you have some man you love?” she asks

“No, I have never met anyone I liked enough.”

“That’s good, that will make it easier. Marrying Thorin I mean. But let us talk about the wedding. Most of it will be arranged by us, well, nearly everything. But you do get to choose your dress. Do you have any ideas about it?”

“I must admit I have not really thought about it.”

“Come on, don’t tell me that you didn’t dream about your weddingdress when you were a little girl?!”

You giggle a bit. “I did.”

“What did you see then?”

“Lace and silk.” You blush a bit, those are not exactly the most obvious choices for dwarves.

“Wow, I did not expect that. Most girls dream about velvet and gold. But you do have the figure for it.”

“Thank you. I have always felt I am too skinny for a dwarf.”

“No, it is nice. I’ll get the seemstress and we’re going to make you look like a queen.”

Five minutes later she returns with the woman, and for the next three hours you are discussing fabrics and colours and patterns.

“You also have to get some corsets and underwear. And the right –ahum- clothing for the wedding night.”

You immediately start blushing. You had not even thought about the wedding night. But it dawns on you: you will have to be intimate…. With Thorin…. A man you don’t know…. A king….

Your sudden realisation must have been splattered all over your face, because Dis starts laughing

“Don’t look so scared! It will all be alright! Just choose some nice things, here, what do you think about this?”

She is showing you some drawings of which kind of underwears the seemstress can make, flipping right past the comforable, warm panties, and instead pointing out lace strings with matching corsets.

“Sure, those are fine.”

“Alright then, I think we’re done here. When will everything be done?” she asks the seemstress.

“I can have some dresses done tomorrow. The weddingdress will be done two days before the wedding.”

“That’s fine, thank you. You know where to send the bill.”

“Thank you your highness, goodnight.”

After the seemstress left, you and Dis keep talking a bit about court life and what you can expect in the coming week untill there is a soft knock on the door. The servant opens and you mother walks in, followed by a maid carrying a suitcase.

“Your highness.” She bows

“Lady Baraz-Markh, how good to see you again. I have just spent the afternoon with your lovely daughter picking out new dresses and such. She reminds me a lot of you.”

“That is very kind of you, thank you.”

“Shall I have dinner for the both of you sent here? I know Thorin will be busy untill late, so he won’t bother you.”

“That would be great, thank you your highness.” You mother replies.

And then Dis walks out and your mother sits down next to you.

“Are you alright darling?”

“I have absolutely no idea. This morning I was sitting in our house and now I suddenly live in the royal quarters, about to marry the king. It is a so-so surreal!”

“I know dear. But this is the life you were supposed to lead. And things don’t have to change too much. We’ll just have a nicer place to live and a better life.”

“You’re forgetting that I’ll have a husband!”

“Yes, but a king. He’ll just want heirs from you and when that is taken care of, you’ll live seperate lives.”

You get up. “Have you gone utterly mad?! Is that the kind of life you want for me, all so YOU get your old life back?!”

“Sit down dear, and don’t look at everything in such a negative way. I merely mean to say that if you don’t want to spend too much time with him, you don’t have to. Your father and me barely saw eachother outside of social functions in the first years of our marriage.”

“I-I have to think about this. How am I going to live a cold, lonely life like that? I don’t care what I go back to, I won’t live like that. Please leave now.”

“Calm down, have a good night sleep, I will come back tomorrow and we’ll talk about it some more, okay?”

“Fine, just leave now.”

And your mother walks out, much to the surprise of the servant that is just bringing dinner.


	4. Chapter 4

“Will your mother not be joining you after all, my lady?”

“No, I am terribly sorry but she will not.”

“Perhaps I may join you then.” A deep voice startles you, and when you turn around you see it is Thorin.

“Yes, no, naturally you can, your hi- eeh- Thorin. I had not expected you, your sister said you would be busy.”

He smiles a bit and takes a seat at the table the servant has put the dinner. “I decided to take the evening of. Come, sit with me. How was your afternoon?”

You sit own, but then almost immediately get back up again“I’m sorry, but I can’t do this. I sincerely apologize.”

“Was it that bad?”

“What? No! That’s not what I mean. Marrying you. I mean that I can’t marry you.”

He gets up and walks over to you. “You can’t marry me? And why not?”

You had expected him to be very upset, but somehow there is something soft in his voice, an amused tone almost.

“I-I just can’t live my life as just someone to produce heirs, I need something more than that.”

He tilts his head a bit. “And who made you think that is what you will be, not my sister I hope?”

“No. Look I’m sorry, I’ll leave now.”

He takes your arm and softly says: “You would not just be someone to produce heirs to me. I see no reason why we can’t try to be happy together, do you?”

You glance up, and for the first time you look in his eyes. They are an intense shade of blue, and his look seems to pierce into you. But not in a bad way, more of a curious way.

“What do you mean?”

He puts a hand around your waist and cups your jaw with the other. “I mean that we could get to know eachother, and then perhaps you will like me. But I already know I like you.”

“Really?” you glance at him again

And then, really softly, he puts his lips on yours, pulling you a bit closer to him. You are surprised by his sudden move, and for a moment you freeze. But then you realise that it is not that bad. In fact, it feels quite good. But as sudden as his kiss started, it ends. He looks in your eyes again and his thumb strokes over your cheek.

“Please, eat with me and tell me everything about yourself.”

He pulls his chair and plate closer to yours and you sit back down.

“There isn’t much interesting to say about me.”

“Then tell me how a girl from a village reads classic khuzdul and knows about art.”

You smile a bit. “Those were the only kind of things my mother could teach me, so I have no domestic skills whatsoever, but I can recite classic poetry and tell you all about the kings from before and their warstrategies.”

He laughs, a kind chuckle. “Now that is interesting. Would you like me to show you some more of our artwork after dinner?”

You would like that very much, but then you remember that your clothing really stands out here, and not in a good way.

“Eeeehm, perhaps tomorrownight ?”

“Do you have plans for tonight?”

“No, no not really.”you say hesistantly

“I see.” Thorin says, and he turns around to the servant. “Svetla, could you ask my sister to come? And tell her to bring some dresses.”

“Certainly, your highness.”and she swiftly walks of.

“She already told me that your clothes have not arrived yet.”

You start blushing and wonder if Dis lied or if Thorin has the diplomacy to not say anything about your ill-befitting clothes.

“Was the visit of the seemstress this afternoon satisfactory?”

“It was, thank you.”

“Did you get what you wanted?”

“I did, thank you.”

“And?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well tell me about it!”

“You want to listen to me talking about the clothes I chose?”

“Not necessarily about the clothes, but I do want to listen to you.”

“Alright then. I chose the wedding dress, and some other dresses, and some riding clothes and some under- eeeh- other things. But appearantely I have a bit of a different taste than the other women here.”

“How that so?”

“Your sister was quite surprised when I didn’t pick any velvet or gold things.”

“O thank Mahal! I kind of despise all those women that disappear in their dresses that look like curtains and almost crumble under the weight of their jewelry.”

His honesty makes you laugh, but you try to disguise it as a little chuckle. Then, Dis comes in.

“I am so sorry! I should have realised that you don’t have a dress for tonight! Here, I brought you some for tonight and tomorrow, I will help you put it on, come on!”

“Thank you.” You say softly when Dis and you are standing in your room.

“I know what it is like here, don’t worry about it.”

She looks at you when you have her dress on, a flowy, linnen dress in Durin blue. “You look great in it. Now go on, what are my brother and you going to do?”

“Has is going to show me some of the artworks.”

“O yes, they are really nice. But I think you will end up showing him the art instead of the other way around. He has never had much interest in it.” You both giggle a bit, and you realise that Dis might actually be nice.

When you come out of the room, Thorin has finished eating and he offers you his arm. You carefully take it and let him escort you to the hall where most of the art is displayed. You gasp as you enter; the hall is more like a museum than something else. There are paintings on the walls and objects displayed in small showcases.

For a while you can only walk around with your mouth open, and you do not notice that Thorin is observing you, a fainth smile on his face. Then, you see a collection of antique axes and swords, some of which have belonged tot he seven dwarf lords.

“O wow, my brother would love these!”

But as you say it, you know you shouldn’t have and you put your hand on your mouth in surprise and shock.

“You brother?” Thorin says sharply but also surprised. “I did not know you have a brother.”

“No, well – eeeh- yes, it is a bit of a – eeeh- long story.” You stumble, knowing you have messed up.

He walks over to you and puts his hands around your waist again. “You either have a brother or you don’t.” he says, smirking a bit when he sees your face.

“It is not that simple.” You try to avoid his look.

“Then tell me. Am I not to know if I have a brother in law or not?”

“You are, but I’m kind of not supposed to talk about it.”

His lips are on your neck now, and you feel his warm breath on your skin. “Will you not tell me?” he mumbles into your neck.

He enchants you, the deep rumble of his voice, his beard prickling your skin and his lips kissing you. So you tell him the story.

“I have a brother, Vindor. He is 4 years older than me. Your sister should remember him I think, they sometimes played together, before, you know. He also went with my father to fight for you at the battle of Azanulbizar, but he came home early. He refused to tell my mother and me the reason of his refusal to fight, but when my father came home a couple of month later, there was a huge fight, ending with my parents denouncing Vindor and him denouncing them. He left, and I have not heard of him since.”

“That is…it must have been something big.”

“It was. From one day to the other, suddenly no one ever spoke of my brother again. No matter whom I asked, they either ignored the question or they sent me on my way.”

“I am trying to remember him, but I don’t think I have ever met him.”

“If you had, you would have remembered him.”

A tear slides down your face, thinking of your big, loving brother, and you try to turn away your face. Thorin softly wipes it of and softly kisses you cheek. “Do you know where he is?”

“I think I have an idea.”

“Then why don’t you write to him?”

“I am not allowed to.”

“Soon, you’ll be my wife, and I do allow it. So write to him, invite him to come. Because if there is anything I have learned, it is that family is the most important thing.”

“I will, thank you.”

“Now tell me honestly, would you like to meet my friends or are you too tired?”

You are tired, exhausted really, from the long and very strange day you had, but you don’t want to disappoint Thorin. However, he had read your mind.

“Come on, lets get you to bed.”

Back in the antechamber, he takes your hand in his’ and looks at it. “Are you—are you feeling better about this already?” and glaces up to your face.

You smile a bit. “Let me sleep on it, and I shall give you my answer in the morning.”

He kisses you cheek. “Goodnight then.”

“Goodnight Thorin.”

And you walk to your room. There, you take some paper and a quill.


	5. Chapter 5

_Dear Vindor,_

_I want to start this letter by apologizing to you. I should have written to you many years ago, but I have let others hold me back. My life is about to change drastically, and I realise that I need you. I need my big brother back with me. It is all too confusing to explain in a letter, and I have to admit that this is a lot more difficult than I thought, but please come visit me! I live in Erebor now, I will inform the guards that they must let you enter._

_Please come nadad, I have missed you._

_Your loving sister_

The next morning you give the letter to one of the servants to get it posted. You think your brother might sometimes visit an inn in Dale, and you hope they will be kind enough to give him the letter.

“No need for that, I shall send a guard to look for him and deliver the letter personally.”

Again you are startled by Thorin’s deep voice.

“O, eeh, goodmorning.”

“Goodmorning, did you sleep well?”

“I did, thank you.” But in reality you have been tossing and turning all night, unable to stop thinking about the situation you find yourself in and about your brother. “Will you really send someone to find my brother?” You blurt out.

“Off course I will. Perhaps he will even be in time to attend the wedding.”

The thought of that makes you smile, but your thoughts are interupted by the servant announcing Dis and the seemstress.

“Look what has arrived!” Dis says with a big smile. “Come on, we’ll go try it on.”

And she whisks you away from Thorin, but not before you ask the servant to inform the guards at the entrance to let your brother enter if he comes.

You spend the morning with Dis and the servant, trying on your new clothes, talking about Erebor and even hearing some stories about Thorin.

“You know, he has a terrible, really terrible, sense of direction. It is so un-dwarf like! When were just living in Khazad-Dum, a guard always had to follow him so he wouldn’t get lost. But he will never admit to this of course, he always blames others for giving him wrong directions or the roads for being strange.”

You laugh; you can’t imagine Thorin being lost, but you can imagine that he will never admit to it.

“Thorin told me about your brother. I think I remember him, Vindor, right?”

You stop laughing when she mentions your brother.

“Yes, Vindor.”

“He was a nice boy, and funny. He always made me laugh, especially when I was not supposed to. But what happened? If I remember correctly, your parents were very proud of him.”

You turn your face away from her. “I don’t know exactly what happened or why he went away. No one ever told me.”

“I am sorry, let us hope he will come soon.”

You just nod.

“Would you like to have lunch? Perhaps Thorin can join us.”

“That would be nice, thank you.”

“Stop saying thank you all the time.” She laughs. “In a couple of days this will all be yours, so you don’t need to thank anyone for it!”

“But I do. I just came here, and now you are giving me a place to live and dresses and stuff.”

“That was not really me, but Thorin.”

“Still.”

“I know what you mean, but this was set up a long time ago between your father, my father and Thorin. You have a right to it.”

“It does not feel like that. I feel like I am just barging in on your lives and taking advantage.

She hugs you. “You really shouldn’t feel like that. We have been waiting for the day you would come ever since the agreement was made, especially Thorin.”

“But how? He doesn’t know me, then how can he know he wants to marry me.”

“He just knows. Now come and have lunch. And keep that dress on, it looks divine on you!”

She is right. You are wearing a Durin blue dress with a tight bodess and a flaring, full skirt. You feel like a princess or something. You decide to sit in one of the sitting rooms. “Svetla, could you see if Thorin is available for lunch?”

“I am afraid he has already told me that he has other obligation, your highness.”

“That’s too bad. I guess it is just the two of us then.”

But you are disturbed by a guard.

“My lady, there is a man at the gates who claims you have invited him, but I do not want to let him in before you confirm that you know him. Would it be possible for you to follow me?”

You can’t believe it. He can’t already be here, you only sent the letter this morning! But you jump up and start running to the gates, hoisting your skirt up. And after what seems to be miles of running, you see him. He has barely changed at all, his hair and his beard are just a little longer.

“Nadad!” you yell an you jump in his arms. “I have missed you so much!”

One of his signature grins appears on his face. “Namad! I have longed for the day that I would see you again.”

“Come on, let’s go to my rooms. I have lunch for you.”

You take his had and almost drag him through Erebor, untill you enter the royal corridor.

“Namad, what are we doing here?”

“I live here now. You see, it turns out that father has arranged a marriage between the king and me. But come into the rooms, I will tell you all about it.” You say a bit shyly.

He wants to say something, but you drag him into the room, where Dis is still sitting.

“Dis, please meet my brother, Vindor.”

“Vindor, it is so good to see you after all these long years. How have you been?”

“Very well, your highness, thank you.” Vindor says stiffly.

“I am so sorry my brother is not here right now, but he has meetings and I really can’t disturb him.”

“No need, your highness, perhaps I will meet him some other time.”

“Then I shall leave the two of you to catch up.” And with a smile she leaves.

“Come nadad, sit, eat! Tell me how you have been!”

“What are you doing here, namad?” He says with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

“I told you, father has arranged….”

“I know what he wanted to arrange. But I did everything I could to stop it. Why are you here anyway, did you not see the sacrifice I made to prevent this from happening?”

You frown. “I don’t know what you mean, nadad.”

“i mean that I have refused to fight at the battle of Azanulbizar so no agreement would be made. I mean that I left home to show you how serious I was!”

“No one ever told me, nadad.”You start crying. “No one ever told me why you suddenly left and never returned.

He hugs you. “It was to spare you from this, my dear namad. I do not want this life for you.”

“But why?”

“Because Thorin will not be a good husband to you. I remember him from before Smaug, and trust me when I say he will not make you happy. And you deserve to be happy.”

“Tell me why then, nadad. He seems nice enough to me.”

“This is the man who has had countless consorts, who has married his own sister off to a man he knew would not be good to her.”

“Don’t do this now, nadad. Can’t we just enjoy seeing eachother again instead talking about this. Mother has already been pushing me to do it, Dis has been talking about it, Thorin himself has asked me to marry him. It is all so confusing!”

“You are right namad, come on, let’s take a walk and I will show you all the places from before.”

And all afternoon you walk around Erebor, a guard discretely following you, and he shows you all the places you used to play before, where he went for his lessons and where you lived. It brings back a lot of memories you thought to have been lost forever, and somehow you start to feel more…whole, more yourself. You remember who you are in a way. Around dinner time, the two of you return to your rooms.

“And who might this man be, whom you have been walking around with all day?”

You see Thorin sitting in the antechamber, getting up as he speaks, sounding and looking very upset.

“Thorin, this is my…”

“This is the man who has come to tell you that you have to end this engagement.” Vindor is poking his finger in Thorin’s chest with every word he says. “And if you refuse to do so and marry her anyway, just know that I will make you life a living hell if you do not make her happy!”

This is not going the way you wanted it to go. Somehow Thorin thinks that your brother is some man you love or something, and your brother does not exactly seem to like Thorin.

“Really? And who are you to tell me what to do?!” Thorin is now really starting to get upset, and it looks like things might get physical.

“Thorin, nadad, both of you, stop it!” You shriek

“This is your brother?”

You nod. “Who else did you think I was walking around with?”

“I don’t know, but it does not matter, for he is being especiall rude!” Thorin looks at your brother when he says this.

“No, he is just tired. Right nadad? You are just tired. You just need to sleep for a while and then everything will be better!” you say in a pleading voice.

“No I am not just tired! I already told you, you shouldn’t marry him, no matter what agreement father made!”

But before you can say anything, Thorin interjects. “Really? And why is that?” he sneers.

“I have known you longer than today, Thorin.” Your brother sneers back. “And I know how you treat women, even the women in your family.”

Thorin looks like he is going to hit your brother, but he controls himself. “You do, do you? And how do I treat women then. And what did I do to my sister?”

“Don’t act like a dim-witted fool! You have had countless consorts, which you disposed of after a few weeks, when you got bored with them. How many noble ladies did you spoil?! And you married your sister off to the Ironhills!” your brothers spits out.

Thorin scoffs. “You have no idea how the arrangements for Dis’ marriage were made, nor is it any of your business! And regarding my consorts: have you lived as a monk, Vindor?”

“No, no, it all doesn’t matter! Nadad, you go and sleep a bit, my room is there. Please!” You step in between the arguing men. And with a foul look at Thorin, Vindor walks into your room, slamming the door behind him.

You look at Thorin, who is still huffing in anger. “I’m- I’m so sorry Thorin. I did not know he felt like this!”

“It matters not. I remember who he is now, though I have never spoken with him, he never liked me. What matters is what you think. You were supposed to give me your answer this morning, but you didn’t.”

You put your hand on his arm, a little afraid of what his reaction might be, but when he does not push it away, you stand closer to him and look in his eyes. “Will you try, Thorn?”

“Try what?”

“Try to make me happy as I will try to make you happy.”

He cups your jaw. “I will.”

“Then don’t mind my nadad, he will get over himself, he always has.”

“And you will be mine?”

You smile. “All yours.”

And then he kisses you. Not a small, short kiss like yesterday, but a passionate one. He presses his lips to yours as if he wants the two of you to become one. His tongue pushes on you teeth, trying to gain acces, and you give over to it. You wrap your arms around him, exploring his tongue with yours. He softly bites and sucks your lower lip, causing you to moan softly. This only seems to make him want you more and he pulls you even closer to him, his hands wandering over your body.

But you know this is getting too far, and you pull your mouth away from his. “No, Thorin, we can’t do this, not yet.”

He is panting, and stroking your cheeks. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” You blush a bit, as you admit that you want as he wants you.

“Sit with me, or do you want to eat?”

“No, I’m not really hungry.”

He pulls you onto one of the sofas and starts playing with your hair, carefully taking your braids out and letting your blond curls cascade over your shoulders. “May I braid it for you? I have some nice beads to put into it.”

You smile, as you know that this means he officially claims you as his, and you nod, turning your back to him so he can start. You had not expected his callused hands to be so gentle and able to braid so fine. But as he finishes, you have a small braid going all around you head, starting and ending just above your ear, where the braid hangs loose along your cheek. Neither one of you has said anything while he was working on your hair, but you had felt his warm breath on your skin, and now you look at him again, feeling warm on the inside. You see he is about to kiss you again, but he stops.

“You should go to bed, before we do anything we might regret.”

You want him, You want him so badly, but you know he is right. “If you have a blanket for me, I will sleep here on the sofa, my brother is in my room.”

“So I let you sleep here, on this very small sofa, and sleep in my bed myself?! Come, sleep in my bed, I will take the sofa in my room. I promiss I won’t do anything.”

You follow him to his room where you are soon expected to sleep. It is a very large, masculin room: stone floors, wood panneling on the wall, and some tapistries as decoration. There is only a large bed, a big sofa and some closets for his things.

“I know, not exactly a room fit for a lady.” He laughs. “But perhaps you can give it a feminine touch.”

You blush, a bit ashamed that he has seen you looking around his room.

“Here, wear a shirt and pants of mine.”

You walk into the bathroom, but find out that you can not take the dress of by yourself; this morning, the seemstress has helped you. You try to tug and wiggle your way out of it, but it does not help. You step out of the bathroom and see that Thorin is already lying in the couch, looking at you in surprise.

Your face is already turning red before you have muttered a single word. “Could you ---- could you maybe help me? I can not get out of it myself and I don’t want anyone to know I am here.”

He gets up and stands behind you, slowly undoing the buttons of you dress. But as he is done, he does not let go, but puts his hands under the bodess of your dress, touching your waist, his thumbs stroking your skin. As his finger runs over you spine, you arch your back, breathing out heavily. You feel his hands moving up, towards your breasts, and you almost shiver in both anticipation and fear. But then he stops and takes his hands of you.. You walk to the bathroom and change into his clothes. When you come out, trying to carry the heavy dress, you see all the candles in the room, except the one next to the bed, are already out. You step into the bed, pull the furs over you, and blow out the candle.

“Sleep well, Thorin.”

“You too.” He whispers.

But you hear him twisting and turning all night, just like you are, as you can’t sleep with him so close to you but without being able to touch him. When it is almost dawn, your exhasution finally allows you to fall asleep, only to be rudely awoken by slamming doors and your yelling brother a few hours alter.

“What the hell is going on here?! What are you doing to my sister?”

You jump up. “Nadad, it is not what you think! You were in my bed, so I slept in Thorin’s, but he slept on the sofa, I swear!”

Thorin has also been awoken by the ruckus, and gets up and grabs your brother by his tunic, pushing him against thewall. “I do not know what kind of man you think I am, but you will not degrade your sister by screaming out like this when nothing has happened.” He hisses, his face no more than two inches away from Vindor’s face.

Vindor pushes him away, surpised by Thorin’s sudden action. “Right, eeh, right.” And he leaves the room as sudden as he came in.

“On the bright side, you can see he really loves you.” Thorin says to you. “Go talk to him, I will not have relatives being upset with eachother at my wedding.”

You are not a morning person, not at all. You need to be left alone, in peace and quiet, untill you have had a chance to get used to reality again. And what has just happened, as not peace and quiet at all, so you snap.

“You know what Thorin, you go talk to him, You got him to be upset with you, so you fix it. And don’t even think that I will do it!”

It must have been something in your eyes, because Thorin only looks at you gobsmacked and then leaves the room. You go to the bathroom to wash and get dressed, and when you get out, clenching your dress to your chest because you can’t close it by yourself, you hear Thorin and your brother laughing. You walk into the room and see them sitting at the table together, eating breakfast.

“Your brother will come to live here and join my guard. But your mother will have to live outside of Erebor, do you mind?” Thorin says.

You look at the two men, but then realise you must look recidulous.

“No.” You say grumpily, and you walk to your room to put on another dress, quickly followed by Svetla, who sees you need help. While changing, you hear your brother and Thorin talk.

“Is she always so grumpy in the morning?”

“You’re too late now, I saw by her braids that you already made her yours, you can not take it back. Best to just get used to it and keep a safe distance in the mornings.”

Svetla hands you a cup of sweet tea and starts closing the dress you have chosen for today. It is the same model al the one from yesterday, but in bright red. You comb through your hair, carefull not to mess up the braid Thorin made, and walk out of the room again, holding the cup of tea to warm your hands. You sit at the table with the men.

“Are you yourself again, namad?”

“Why would you assume that I am ever not myself?”

“Because you were not woken in the way you like, and when that happens, you start screaming at people.”

“I never scream at people, you do.”

And so you keep quibbling on, but in a way only brothers and sisters can.

When Thorin finishes his breakfast, he gets up. “I am afraid Vindor and I have to leave. Do you have any plans for today?”

“Not really. Dis told me I don’t have to arrange anything for the wedding, so I don’t have anthing to do really. I think I will look around a bit, perhaps see the library.”

“Alright, but bring a guard with you.”

And off they are, leaving you in the sitting room, realising that you did not have a chance to catch up with your brother.


	6. Chapter 6

You feel a little lost now that there is no one to keep you company, and you just wander around the nearby corridors a bit before going to the library. There, you find marvelous works on nearly every subject imaginable. But somehow your mind is not really focussed, and before long you put the books you have chosen down. You think about your mother; all your life she has been distant, only worried about keeping up appearances as well as she could. And only two days ago she was pushing you into a marriage just so she could get her old life back. Now. Vindor is back, and you are curious to what is going to happen. Wanting to avoid an accidental public meeting between your mther and your brother, you decide to visit her in her new house here in Erebor.

You walk there, again discretely escorted by a guard, and you feel the looks of the people you pass by burning holes in your back. Their looks are not exactly friendly, and you wonder why they are looking at you like that. But then you arrive at your mother’s house and you knock on the door.

“Darling, how marvelous to see you, come in!” you mother says, beckoning you in.

As you look around, you see none of your old furniture. Instead, your mother’s house is decorated with all new, luxury, furniture.

“Mother, how did you get all this furniture?”

“O, I just ordered it.”

“But how did you pay for it?”

“I had the bill send to you and Thorin.”

“You what?!”

“Well, you can’t expect me tohave a house here, build up my old life again, with all that old stuff. How would anyone take me seriously?”

“You mean to tell me that you are having Thorin pay for all this?”

“Of course.”

“You know what, I came here to tell you that Vindor is ging to live here as well, working as Thorin’s guard, and try to talk you into trying to coexist peacefully, but I think I will just have him tell you you have to leave!”

“How did Vindor get here? And how does he know you are here?”

“I wrote to him, mother.”

“I have forbade you to do that!”

“That is not really up to you anymore, as Thorin clearly explained to me.”

“He can not be here! I am living here and I will not have my reputation tainted by him, send him away!” Your mother is shrieking by now.

“I will most certainly not! You have shown once more that I am nothing but a means for you to get what you want to you. So I think it would be best if you left.”

“Leave? And go where?!”

“Our old house. Just keep the stuff you bought, I will try to find a way to pay for it.”

And you walk out, trembling as you think what you have just done. But somehow it feels as a relief. As if a burden has fallen of your shoulders. But then you think of having to tell Thorin what your mother has done, and find a way to pay him back.

As you enter your rooms, you see Vindor sitting on one of the sofas and you hear Thorin in his study.

“Vindor” you whisper, sitting next to him. “I have a huge problem.”

“What?”

“Mother has bought a lot of expensive furniture and stuff in my name, and the bill is going to be sent to Thorin. I have sent her away from here, but I have no idea how to pay the money back, and I really don’t want Thorin to have to pay for this.” You almost start crying.

“Relax namad, I will pay for it, don’t worry. Do you want me to tell him?”

“No, I will do it myself. I just hope he won’t be too upset.” And you walk to Thorin’s study, softly knocking on the door.

“Enter.”

You open the door and softly walk in. As he looks up and sees yu, a smile appears on his face.

“I was already wondering where you were. What did you do today?”

“Well- eeeh-, that is what I wanted to talk to you about. You see, eeeh, after walking around and going to the library, I went to see my mother.”

“Hmm hmm.”

“And it turns out, that she has bought a lot of expensive furniture and such in my name, and eeeeh, the bill will be sent to you. But Vindor will pay for it…” You blurt out

He gets up and sits on his desk, in front of you, pulling you a bit closer to him.

“I already know what your mother did, I had not expected her to do otherwise. Don’t worry about your brother paying me back, just tell me: are you alright?”

“Ehh, what do you mean?”

“I mean: you have just told your mother to leave, are you alright?”

“O, yes, that. I think I am actually. It is perhaps better if my mother lives a bit further away.”

“Whatever you want. And if you want her to return, it is fine by me, I’ll even give her a monthly allowance.”

“Why are you so generous, Thorin? I mean, you have already given me a lot, you have given Vindor a station and now you just pay for my mother’s bills and offering to pay her a monthly allowance!”

He pulls you closer and buries his face in your neck, breathing on your skin, his beard prickling. “I just want you to be happy.” He murmers, softly trailing his lips over you neck.

You feel your legs turning into jello again, a warmth spreading through you. You put your hands on his chest and feel the strength of his muscles, then slowly trail up, around his neck and finally on his cheeks.

“Thorin, we-we cant do this.” You almost moan, tilting your head back so he can kiss your whole neck.

“I know.”

“You have to stop.” You say, pressing your body closer to his.

“Who will ever know? It is not like either of us has never done this before.”His head trails lower now, kissing you colarbone.

That remark brings you back to reality, and you lean away from him. He stops kissing you and looks into your eyes. “You have never done this?’

You feel yourself getting red, and you turn your head away a bit as you shake it.

“Wow, that is just…” He says in admiration, pulling you closer. He bites his lower lip and you see the lust on his face. He gives you a small kiss before letting go of you. “I guess I shall have to wait two more days then.” He says. “Come on, time for you to meet my family and friends.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, but I am not sure yet how Thorin's friends and family will react to his unexpected fiancee. Suggestions are most welcome!


	7. Chapter 7

Shyly, you walk into the grand dining hall, escorted by Thorin and followed by Vindor in his function as royal guard. Thorin leads you to a seat to his left, while he himself sits on the chair with the high back at the head of the table. Vindor takes a few steps back, standing in the corner of the hall. Without anyone you know next to you, you feel completely overwhelmed and utterly prepared for the many pairs of eyes that are now looking at you. You feel like you are unable to breathe and want to do nothing more than just run out of this room.

But then Thorin scrapes his throat and gets up.

“My dear family and friends. Since long you have known that an arrangement for a bethrotal has been made by my wise father and grandfather. Long were the years that I have had to wait for my fiancee to come of age and be ready for marriage, but I am overly happy to announce that she has finally arrived. As you probably all have seen, wedding preparations are in full swing, and I am quite excited to announce that the wedding will take place 2 days from today.”

Now that people are staring at you even more intendly, you feel your face growing redder by the second, but to your relief Thorin’s speech is met with loud clapping at cheering and several people getting up to come and meet you and introduce themselves.

“Fili – and Kili- and your service.”

You stare wide eyed at two mischievously smiling young men whom are now standing in front of you, beaming with excitement. You have absolutely no idea who they are, so you just bo your head in return and introduce yourself.

“We’re Thorin’s nephews.” The blonde whom introduced himself as Fili says.

“And soon to be yours as well.” The dark haired adds.

“We’ve been looking forward to your arrival.” The blonde again.

“Do you find everything to your satisfaction!” Kili asks.

“And are you happy to be here as well?”

The whole interrogation felt like bombardment of questions makes you feel very self-aware, but thankfully you are saved by Dis, who comes to stand next to you and wraps an arm around your shoulders.

“Boys, why don’t you let her eat in peace for a bit. You will have enough time after the wedding to get better acqainted with you uncle’s wife, and I think you are overwhelming her.”

Fili and Kili look disappointed, and only mutter ‘Yes, amad’ before returning to their seats opposite to the table from you. When all at the table have introduced themselves, eating continues. However, table manners are perhaps not these dwarves’ strong point, as they keep throwing food at eachother. You have to duck your head several times to avoid flying pieces of bread and meat, and you see that Thorin is looking at the whole thing with a mixture of amusement and shame in his eyes.

You glance at your brother, but he only crooks his eyebrow and nods at you to eat a little more. Thorin must have noticed your discomfort, because he leans towards you, and whispers:

“I know they are not the most well-behaved dwarves, but I am proud to call them my family and friends. All but Dis have joined me in my quest, without them I would not be sitting here. Do you think you might get used to their—eeh—high spiritedness?”

“After such a warm recommendation from you, could I do otherwise?” You say with an amused smile on your lips.

Thorin chuckles and wants to say something back, but his attention is drawn by Fili, whom is sitting on his right side, and they engage in a long winding conversation of which you can not hear the detais, so you quickly lose interest. As the dwarf whom is sitting to your left is a very tall very muscular and very intimidating dwarf whom has gruntingly introduced himself as Dwalin, and whom is not paying any attention to you, you just eat your dinner and look around at the people you share the table with.

After a while, you have to admit Thorin was right; they are a spirited bunch. But they also seem jolly and kind, and you can’t help but smile at the one that jumps on the table, pulls a little flute out of his pocket and starts a song about a man from the moon, an inn and what must be a very good ale, that has everyone songing along within a matter of seconds. And when they all start yelling for another ale, the song probably reminded them it was time for a refill, you quietly attrackt the attention of one of the servants and shyly ask if you may also have one.

It feels like a forbidden pleasure, and for a long time it also was. Your parents never let your drink ale, saying it was a men’s drink, certainly not for high class ladies. Thinking of your friends that all merrily got into their cups on saturdaynight, you wanted to tell them you weren’t a high class lady and you were just simply living in a hut, so ale would suit just fine. But you didn’t. You wanted to keep the peace and not hur your father’s feelings. But here, looking around and even seeing the Durin princess drinking ale, you didn’t think he would mind.

“You look like a little dwarfling that stole one of her mother’s freshly baked cookies.” You suddenly hear coming from your right, and you nearly choke on your sip of ale while trying to put away the wooden cup.

“I actually feel like it.” You manage to say when the coughing had stopped. “I was never allowed to have it.” A little blush appears on your cheeks, and you hope Thorin won’t find it childish, or very disobedient or unladylike, of you to order ale as soon as your parents aren’t around.

But his harty laughter eases your tension. “You remind me of two very naughty boys that used to take sips form my ale when I wasn’t looking.” He says with a snicker as his laugh dies down. “Though they were much younger.”

The reference to their past misdeeds, and the absene of their mother whom is seated at the other end of the table, seems to be the cue for Fili and Kili to turn their attention back to you. Their questions are all being aked in a good spirit and stem from genuine interest, but it shames you to have to tell them of your life, especially when they are surprised when they hear there are so many things you haven’t done, like traveling or learning a real craft.

It is when they start asking about your skills that you feel your cheeks getting redder than the hair of the very rotund dwarf sitting next to Dis and your eyes start to burn with tears that Thorin steps in and turns the conversation to the results of the various council meetings Fili and Kili appearantely have attended. Under the table he takes your hand and softly squeezes it.

“You fight?” You hear a gruff voice saying, and you look to your left.

“Not really.” You say in an apologetic tone, and it is answered by a groan that could indicate disappointment or exasperation, but could also just be an acknowledgement of your words.

“Come train with us, we’ll teach you.”

And for some reason, that short invite in that short, low, rumbling tone, makes you feel like you will manage to find a place here, like you belong.


End file.
